OLIVER GOLDSMITH

By FRANK FRANKFORT MOORE

AUTHOR OF "THE JESSAMY BRIDE" "THE FATAL GIFT" "A GEORGIAN PAGEANT" ETC. ETC.

WITH NINE ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON

CONSTABLE & COMPANY

LIMITED

PRINTED BY

BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LTD. AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS TAVISTOCK STREET COVENT GARDEN

LONDON

CHAPTER

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: BOSWELL ON GOLDSMITH

I. THE IRELAND OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH (1728-

1735)

II. SCHOOLING (1735-1744)

III. AT THE UNIVERSITY (1744-1747)

IV. QUALIFYING FOR A DEGREE (1747-1749)

V. QUALIFYING FOR IMMORTALITY (1749-1752)

VI. A CONSTANT PRODIGAL (1752)

VII. IN EDINBURGH (1752-1754)

VIII. IN LEYDEN (1754-1755)

IX. VAGABONDAGE (1755-1756)

X. PHYSICIAN, USHER, AND DRUDGE (1756–1757)

PAGE

I

XI. "BEING BORN AN IRISHMAN" (1757)

XII. DE PROFUNDIS (1758-1759)

XIII. HIS FIRST BOOK (1759)

XIV. "THE BEE" AND OTHERS (1759-1760)

34

44

55

68

77

89

103

115

124

140

152

168

183

190

XV. "THE CITIzen of the World" (1760-1761) 200

XX. "THE TRAVELLER" (1764-1765)

XXI. "EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY AND SOME-

THING ELSE (1765-1766)

XXII. IN THE MIDST OF FRIENDS (1766)

CHAPTER

XXX. WORK AND PLAY (1770-1771)

XXIII. A GLANCE AT THE STAGE (1767-1768)

XXIV. ROOMS IN BRICK COURT (1768)

PAGE

286

297

XXV. MAKING MONEY AND SPEnding It (1768–1769) 307

XXVI. "THE JESSAMY BRIDE" AND HER FAMILY (1769) 318

XXVII. ON THE EVE OF A TRIUMPH (1769-1770)

XXVIII. "THE DESERTED VILLAGE" (1770)

XXIX. A HOLIDAY IN FRANCE (1770)

327

336

348

XXXI. VISITS AND LETTERS (1771-1772)

355

XXXIV. AFTER THE COMEDY (1773)

XXXIII." SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER" (1773)

XXXII. THE STORY OF THE COMEDY (1772-1773)

372

391

406

XXXV. "ANIMATED NATURE" (1773)

412

XXXVII. LAST HOURS (1774)

XXXVI. HE LAYS DOWN HIS PEN (1773-1774)

427

437

XXXVIII. THE MEMORIALS OF A MAN OF GENIUS

449

XXXIX. THE CONCLUSION OF ALL

456

462

From the engraving by Heath after the portrait by Opie

THE STATUE BY FOLEY AT TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN 460